Water cooler



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,613

D. H. EBINGER WATER COOLER Filed Oct. 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l fiat 122511. 152151 762 Jan. 22 1929.

D. H. EBINGER WATER COOLER 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16. 1926 Patented; Jan. 22, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. IEBINGEB, OF GOLUMBUS,

MFG. 00., OF COLUMBUS, OHIO,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE D. A. EBINGER SANITARY A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WATER COOLER. I

Application filed October 16, 1926. Serial No. 141,927.

The provision of a heat insulated casing of p 1 improved design for receiving in a compact and orderly manner the water cooling coils of the apparatus, in providing said casing with removable panels or door sections, whereby access to the coils is obtained in a convenient and simple manner and without interference with the adjacent fountain or faucet. construction of the cooler; in constructin the cooler so that there will be but very little exterior surface upon which moisture accumulation and condensation can appear, and in constructing the casing so that such exterior condensation that may be present will be confined and collected within the interior of the casing and prevented from running down and marring the appearance of the exterior walls of the casing proper; in enclosin the drain pipe of thewater fountain or. aucet within the walls of the casing to prevent moisture accumulation on the walls of said drain pipe and also to produce a cooler of pleasing and finished appearance wherein exteriorly viewable pensed with and an improved appearance imparted to the cooler as akwhole; and in various other features of design and construction hereinafter specifically pointed out and set forth in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanical water cooler constructed in accordance with 59 the principles of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical lon 'tudinal sectional view taken through the coo er, I

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on ipes are in the main disthe line 33 of Figure 1, disclosing the top of the cooler casing in plan,

Figure 4' is a horizontal sectional view taken through the casing on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2, disclosing more particularly the faucet or bubbler construcion. In the specific form .of the invention here- 1n selected to illustrate and disclose the features and principles of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the casing of the cooler. This casing is substantially of cubical form and includes an enclosed hollow body formed from joined sides, top and bottom walls. In the preferred construction of the casing the latter. includes an outer tank formed preferably from sheet metal, and comprising a bottom wall 2, provided with an upstanding marginal flange 3, to which is secured the lower edges of vertical sheet metal side walls 4, the wall 2 being supported above a base or floor surface at a suitable elevation by the provision of rigidly mounted'supporti-ng legs 5.

To the upper edges of the walls 4 there is secured a horizontally disposed top wall 6, provided in this instance with downturned anges' at the marginal edges thereof, indicated by the numeral? w ich are suitably secured to the upper edges of the walls 4, whereby the outer tank prevents afrigid, stable homogeneous construction.

The casin is also formed to comprise an inner metallic tank' formed to include a bottom wall 2, upstanding side walls 4", and a top wall 6, suitably united to produce a liquid containing non-corrosive structure. The

walls of the inner and outer tanks of the casing are spaced,.as shown in Figure 2,

' for the reception of a hidden heat insulating filler 8. In a standard commercial embodiment of the invention this filler takes the form of cork board which has been fitted in a heated mixture of bitumen or a substance known b the commercial name of Hydroline; his insulation is closely inserted between the adjacent walls of the inner and .outer tank of the casing so as to completely fill the space existing between them and to minimize heat translation or exchange between the relatively cool or cold temperatures prevailing within the liquid containing chamber 9 of the casing and the relatively higher temperatures of the atmosphere surrounding the casing, in order that temperature losses by reason of insulation may be kept as low as is practicable.

The top walls 6 and 6 of: the casing are provided with registering openings 10 for the reception of, a removable cover section 11. This section extends substantially across the full width of the cooler, as shown in Figure 3, and is adapted to be secured in place by the provision of fastening screws 12. The removal of the section 11 permits of the insertion within the chamber 9 of the tank the mechanical refrigerating unit, designated by the numeral 13. This unit may be any one of several standard types nowin general commercial use and known by the trade-name of Frigidaire or Kelvinators. These units, as usual, comprise a tank 14 in which is received for expansion sulphur dioxide (80,) or other equivalent refrigerant. This tank is suitably secured to the side walls 4 to occupy the horizontal position disclosed in Figure 2, and depending from the tank is a coil 15, commonly known in the trade as the boiler or expansion coil. As usual, this coil operates to extract heat from the body of'water contained within the casing chamber 9 and in operation a frost or ice accumulates on the outer surfaces of the coil, due to the low temperatures thereof, which chills the temperature of the water within the chamber 9 so as to correspondingly lower the work ing temperature of a Water coil 16, also located within the chamber 9 and submerged in the water normally carried therein. It will be observed that the lower end of the colls 15 are spaced from the wall 2, so as to allow for expansions and frost accumulations on the part of this coil without interference from-the wall of the casing. One of the side walls 44 of the casing is provided with a vertically disposed opening 17 for the reception of an access plate 18, which is secured in place by means of removable screws 19. By the provision of the plate 18 access is easily obtained for the purpose of controlling the operation and adjustment of the inlet and outlet valves 20 provided upon one end of the tank 14 for controlling the flow of the refrigera'nt. Thus, through the provision of the cover section 11 and the access plate 18, the servicing of the mechanical refrigerating unit can be easily and quickly accomplished without interfering with the remaining unit of the cooler.

The water coil 16 is preferably formed from copper tubing, which is self draining and is wound to assume the spiral configuration disclosed particularly in Figures 2 and 4. The lower end of the coil 16 is connected with a water inlet fitting 21, rovided in the bottom wall of the casing, w ich fitting, in turn, is adapted to be connected with a suitable source of drinking water supply, such,

for example, as a city water main. The upper end of the coil 16 is connected with a vertically extending pipe 22, which projects through the top of the casing and is providedin this instance with a manually operated self closing valve 23, the upper end of the pipe communicating with an angularly disposed water jet 24 provided in what is known as an angle stream bubbler 25, one or more of which being carried in connection with the top of the cooler. By reason of the dis position of the jet 24 with relation to the receptor or bowl 26 of the bubbler, the opening of the valve 23 permits of the ejection of an arcaute upwardly, outwardly and then downwardly directed stream of water which may be either consumed directly by the-operator of the fountain, or may be caught in a tumbler, glass or other receptacle as desired. It will be seen that the coil 16 is completely immersed, up to the water level indicated at 26' in the inner tank of the casing, and then due to the relatively low temperature of this water, efiected by the mechanical refrigerating unit, the water circulating through the coil 16 will'have its temperature correspondingly lowered so as to be properly cooledand tempered for drinking purposes. Due to the manner of forming the coil 16 the latter may in practice include any requisite number of feet, linearly arranged, of tubing, thus enabling quite a large quantity of drinking water to be retained at any one time within the coil, thus providing a stored supply, as it were,of chilled water which may be used as required. It will be understood that other types of water outlet fittings may be connected with the upper end of the coil than that shown and specifically described herein.

The waste pipe 27 leading from the bottom of the bowl 26, passes through the top of the casing and between the side walls 4 and 4 so as to be concealed from exterior view and also to minimize exterior condensation. The lower end of the waste pipe terminates within a drain cup 28-, carried by the bottom of the. cooler, and from which leads an outlet pipe 29. Arising from the bottom of the casing within the chamber 9 and disposed within the confines of the coil 16 is an overflow pipe 30, which determines the level of the water within the chamber 9 and pre vents the tank from being overfilled with water. The lower end of the pipe 30 terminates within a water sealed compartment 31 provided in the drain cup 28 but which compartment is in communication with the outlet pipe 29.

The top wall 6 of the casing to one side of the cover section 11 is provided with a basin or depression 32, shown more particularly in Figure 3. This basin is arranged to surround t e supply and waste pipes 22 and tured and assembled with economy and faorder to receive and collect the moisture or condensation which drains down the exterior surfaces of these pipes, and to lead this moisture into a downwardly directed'short pipe section 33, which terminates below the level of the water in the chamber 9. By this construction the condensation is confined to a comparatively small area of the cooler and is prevented from dripping or running down the side walls thereof and disfiguring or marring the exterior appearance of the casing. This feature is of very considerable importance where there is a large temperature dif ferential between that of the cooled water and the exterior or surrounding atmosphere.

By the construction described there is provided a water cooler suitable for public and private buildings and residences, and wherein a high degree of efficiency is provided together with an attractive appearance. Moreover, the construction set forth enables the several units of the cooler to be manufaccility and simplifies the servicing and adjustment of the mechanical refrigerating unit when the cooler is in operation.

What is claimed is: 1. In a water cooler, a casing comprising spaced inner and outer walls separated by'a heat insulating filler, said walls serving to define an enclosed liquid containing tank, a

mechanical refrigerating unitdisposed within said tank, a water cooling coil mounted within said tank and provided with means for admitting of the circulation of water therethrough independently of the liquid contained 1n said tank, a drinking fountain connected with the upperportion of said coil and arranged to project above the top of said casing adjacent to one side of the latter, a drip basin carried by the bottom of said casing, an overflow pipe arranged vertically "within said tank and opening into said basin,

anda waste ipe leading from said fountain to said drip asin. p

2. In a water cooler, a casing comprising spaced-inner and outer walls having a heat insulating filler provided between them, said walls serving to define an internally situated liquid containing tank, a mechanical refrigerating unit mounted withinsaid tank, a water cooling coil arranged within said tank, a valve controlled water-outlet connected with the upper portion of said coil and extending above the top of said casing to one side thereof, a waste p1pe leading from said outlet, a basin provided in the top of said casing and arranged adjacent to said outlet and waste pipe to collect condensation from the walls of the latter, and a conduit leading from said basin to the interior of said tank. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID H. EBINGER. 

